REPROCESS

Reprocess is the act of processing something again to extract value, correct results, or enable reuse. It is used in various fields to describe repeated steps that recover materials, improve quality, or produce new products from existing inputs.

In the nuclear industry, reprocessing (spent fuel reprocessing) chemically separates usable uranium and plutonium from irradiated fuel. The recovered materials can be recycled into new fuel, while high‑level waste is isolated and conditioned. The process, typified by solvent extraction methods such as Purex, raises safety, environmental, and nonproliferation concerns and is heavily regulated.

Reprocessing of medical devices involves cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization to enable reuse. It may apply to devices labeled reusable or to single‑use devices that are reprocessed by approved facilities. Regulations govern safety, traceability, and performance, with cost and environmental benefits weighed against risk of diminished effectiveness.

In information technology, reprocessing means rerunning data operations on existing data, often after corrections, new data arrivals, or schema changes. It supports data quality, up‑to‑date analytics, and model refreshes, typically balanced with data governance and audit trails.

Reprocessing in recycling refers to processing waste materials to recover feedstocks for new products. Mechanical and chemical methods exist for plastics, metals, and glass. Effectiveness depends on contamination control, energy use, and market demand for recycled materials.